Splatoon: Prophet Rising
by A lvl 3457 Random
Summary: Every man holds within him the power to bring order to chaos, peace to war, and opulence to the muddied. A Shepard will rise, and guide his flock towards true greatness. Legions will stand tall, awaiting his call. All will prosper under a banner of black and gold, and all will know the name of the Last Shepard.
1. Prologue

_**Prologue**_:

Golden skies signal the dawn of a new day, a city rises, new chances and opportunities are born. Inkopolis wakes from it's nightly slumber, it's denizens going about their daily matters not knowing of the miracle they will soon witness. Waves gently brush up against the concrete walls of Inkopolis, and deep below them, a prophet waits in eternal slumber, his own worshipers unbeknownst of his very existence. He does not know of his potential, after all, he is only human. But unknown to him, he will rise, and all those dwelling in the city above will know his name. For now though, he awaits in the deep , as he has for many years now. He remains endlessly peering into the warm golden blanket above, concealed from the passage of time. Fortunately for him, his fate is not to be condemned to the dark below.

**All Shall rally to the call of the last Shepard.**

"_**Dive team are you in range of the relic?"**_

"**Yep, don't worry Cap'n, we'll pull this off, no problem."**

"_**I hope so. You bunch have me worried sick down there."**_

"**We have respawn beacons and the dive suits Cap'n. We'll be fine"**

"_**I know, I just… I have bad memories from the great turf war thanks to water."**_

"**...Sorry for bringing it up then, Cap'n."**

"_**Oh no, don't worry about me, you squiddos just keep your focus down there."**_

"**Understood Cap'n."**

***Author's Note: I should've probably put this here before hand, but this story takes place within ARandomInterlopers "Life in Inkopolis" universe. But do keep in mind it doesnt directly, as this is more of just a "what if" sceneraio or an ulternative universe, that starts roughly at the beginning of:**

**"Life in Inkopolis: Hier to the Throne."***


	2. Chapter 1: The Last Shepard

_**Chapter 1: The Last Shepard**_

**Darkness, absolute quiet, and the freezing cold were all things that I'm used to by now. Despite the fact that I was locked away somewhere roughly twenty feet underwater inside a small titanium box, I was still holding out quite well. But of course, light is always followed by a shadow, and there was a bad side to all this. I was stuck in a reinforced preservation shelter, all thanks to**** the engineers manufacturing them running out of resources during the great wars. And thanks to them, the timer on my shelter was made in a hurry, so of course, the thing malfunctioned.**** There was a keypad on the outside though, but until someone uses it, I'm stuck down here in this icebox in cryogenic sleep, waiting until someone gets me out of here.**

**Meanwhile… (Klara's POV)**

"You sure about this, Leo?" Leo was lost in thought, but snapped back to reality after the question hung in the air for a bit.

"Klara, when has the Cap'n ever lied to us? You saw the thing with your own eyes! Let's just try to get them up to the docks as quick as possible, and please, don't freak out like you did last time we went on a mission, or it'll probably just stomp you into an inkblot." Leo said.

"Last time was when that eight legged thing tried to bite me! I'm ever so sorry for not wanting to get bitten by a creepy crawly the size of a dinner plate, your highness." I spat back.

"Eh, fair enough. Let's get this done, then we can head back to the headquarters. We'll figure out what to do from there... Heh, who knows, maybe humans will learn to speak Inkish." He chuckled to himself.

"Then you two can start chatting once I get this keypa-" ***Beep***

_Well, what do you know, century old codes can work after all._

The metal cracked open slightly, seeming to have been stuck, but then resumed opening. Inside: a human. A living, breathing -but still unconscious- human.

_So, Cuttlefish wasn't crazy after all then._

The Human seemed to be Male, just recently seeming to have reached adulthood. He was tall, had tanned skin and dark brown hair that was cut a bit short to the sides, but still normal on the top. He was wearing some sort of mask, and it had a canister of something linked up to it. It wore a dark, sleek suit with weird boots that were flat and ran out a bit before coming to an end.

But then, he slowly started moving, seeming to be coming to. His eyes shot open, and he glared straight at me and Leo.

_Well, time to shine._

**After a long pause… (Human's POV)**

Imagine me not being surprised that I was rescued by dwarfs with tentacles blooming out of their heads... Well, after a long, _long _time of doing nothing, I'm just glad I can leave that damn chunk of metal. Eh, I guess I should be in a better mood. After all, it seemed to be a decent day, (_at least judging by what I could through the water)_ I looked down at the two, and they just stared right back, seeming to be either in awe, or just impressed.

I moved around to get my bearings, and surprise to say, I wasn't even sore after a few centuries of absolute stillness. Hell, elementary school gym class put more strain on me than that thing ever did. I looked back down at the two and the one with long cyan colored tentacles signaled for me to follow them. We swam up to the water's s surface, after I gave one final goodbye to my own personal prison, of course.

**Two minutes later... ****Inkopolis Docks**

Remember the surprise I didn't have at the looks of my saviors earlier? Well, that surprise got put to good use, because I'll admit, I was in awe towards the fact they had a whole functioning city. I took a minute or ten to admire the flashiness of it all, as well as the nice, warm morning with gold skies and a gentle sea breeze. I felt like a new man (_which I basically was at this point_). Before I left the docks, I took a moment to take off my dive suit, and check to make sure I still had my pants and shirt on underneath, which luckily I did. I folded the suit up, and did as the squid kids did.

**Inkopolis Square (Klara's POV)**

_"I can't believe we did it!"_ I whispered to Leo.

_"I know, I'm just impressed he understands what we're signalling him to do."_ He replied.

_"Well to be fair, humans are pretty bright. The one issue we're gonna have if any, is talking to him."_ I thought aloud.

_"Well, we can probably find something to translate our language into."_ Leo stated.

_"But don't Humans have well over 6000 dialects? How in the shell do we get the right one?"_ I questioned.

_"Just go through the most widely used ones and just hope for the best, I guess."_ He said

_"Yeah, great idea genius."_ I said with a grin

It was then I realized crowds were gathered all around us in absolute shock and awe, some even recording us walking through the Square.

_Well,_ _this is going to be a long year._

**Ten Minutes later...**

***Knock Knock Knock***

"Who is it?" The Cap'n shouted to the door.

"It's us Cap'n! We have him." I shouted in reply

***Click* **_***Creeeeeeak***_

The door opened slightly, and big, white eyes peered out through the crack.

"In all my years…" The Cap'n seemed lost in thought.

"Hurry! Get him in here, fast!" He snapped back to reality, seeming a bit paranoid.

"**Yes sir!" **Me and Leo answered in unison.

We signaled the human to follow, and he nodded his head in understanding. The Cap'n slammed the door hurriedly, meanwhile the human set his stuff down on a coffee table in the small wooden shack. He took something metal off his neck that shimmered in the morning daylight.

_...Wait... Those look a bit like dog tags..._

I'd seen them a few times on Octolings, as usually the elites wore them proudly, but recruits got no such treatment.

The Cap'n waddled over to his seat, sat down, and questioned us for a bit.

_"Did anyone see him?"_ Cap'n Cuttlefish asked.

_"Well, just the entirety of Inkopolis. Not that big of a deal."_ Leo snarked back.

_"You know what I mean. Did spies see him?"_ The Cap'n clarified.

_"We couldn't see anything suspicious in the crowd, mostly just onlookers in awe of seeing a human, so no, I guess."_ Leo replied.

_"Klara, did you see anything out of the ordinary?"_ Cuttlefish asked.

_"Nope, everything looked normal sir. We can check around just in c-"_

"No, it's fine. I trust you two." the Cap'n interrupted. "I just wanted to make sure. And us snooping around would only make people suspicious." "Show the human his room over there and you two go about your tasks, I'll just sit here and lie back for the day."

After showing the human his room, we went back and said our goodbyes to the Cap'n, and then we headed off to go about our daily duties in Octo Gorge.

***Meanwhile***

The Cap'n decided to take a look at the humans gear that was rested on the table nearby. He had dog tags placed above his dive suit. They read "**Jackson Shepard**".

***Author's Note: Be sure to check out my profile, as you'll be able to find all of my characters, as well as important info that will serve as the guideline to the story. Thanks for reading, and have a good day!**


	3. Chapter 2: Fugitive Unknown

_**Chapter 2: Fugitive Unknown**_

**Octarian Dome D-27 (? POV)**

_Just gotta keep moving. Don't look back, keep the hood up, and you'll be fine._

_..._

_Splat it._

I stopped as I realized an Octoling Elite was glaring at me, even though I couldn't see her, I could feel that death stare from those harsh, battle hardened eyes from a mile away.

"Hold it there!" She called out.

I prepared for the worst and turned to face her. Yep, her Octoshot was drawn. She nonchalantly strolled over to me, and I took a moment to size her up. Pretty tall for an Octoling, nearly 6 feet, but I was both taller, and more well muscled then her. She seemed confident, but also aware, not to cocky, but still moved with pride.

"Mind pulling your hood down, hon?"

I did as I was asked. Figured there was a chance of it going smoother if I didn't resist. Well, not resist _immediately, _at least.

"Well, you're quite a sight to behold. Unfortunately you're gonna have to come with me sweetie, after all, you know the rules over half-breeds."

Just as she was about to tie my hands behind my back, I said two words, and they stood in defiance of two things; her, and my past. I'm not running anymore.

"Not. Happening."

"What did y-" I didn't give her time to ask.

I whipped around as fast as I possibly could, and wrestled her to the ground. After a bit of struggling on her part, I gave her a knockout punch she'd never forget. As I stood up to look around and make sure there weren't witnesses to my actions, she laid there, unconscious.

"Sweet dreams, hon." I whispered into her ear.

I ran off to the nearest tram platform, hopped on, and caught a ride to a neighboring dome.

**Ten Minutes Later, Dome 28… (Klara's POV)**

Spy duty was usually much more of a cakewalk for me than it was for Leo, seeing as to how he really does not like staying still, but I always managed to find something interesting to watch over from above, whether it be Salmonlings or recruits playing on Octoweapons only to get knocked off them by their instructors, I always found something that made me chuckle, or interested in what was going on down here. This time, it was a hybrid. To summarize, hybrids are basically what happens when an Octoling and an Inkling love each other very much, and _***woomy!* **_now, you have your own personal 7-8ft tall splatting machine that can explode into a fury, making them strengthen up even more to a point where one punch could destroy a cinder block, without issue or self harm being inflicted (which is what earned Hybrids the nicknames "Brawlers" and "Rikers"). Basically, don't get on their bad side, and hopefully, you'll live.

For the most part, their volatility has made them a absolute no-no in Inkling and Octarian society alike, as they'd sometimes go into a fury thanks to their own officers / peers bossing them around. In civilian settings that rage earned them a notoriety for all sorts of violent crime, and seeing as interracial relationships between Inkling and Octolings were taboo, their very existence has been borderline outlawed for well over 2,000 years. So, as one could imagine, it was a little off-putting to see one just roaming the streets of a Octarian Dome.

I jumped off my high rise after checking for nearby guards or soldiers, and decided to question her for a bit.

**(? POV)**

"_*Psst* Hey! Yeah, you!" _I heard a voice from behind me call.

I glanced back and was surprised at what I saw. A roughly 5'7 cyan haired Inkling was staring right back at me. She was armed, but I figured she wasn't her to give me trouble, so much as she was here to give the Octarians trouble.

"Hey." I said nonchalantly.

"Just a friendly question, but what are you doing here?" She asked.

"Real question is, what in the shell are you doing here?" I pointed at my tentacles to get the point across.

"Well, for starters, I'm on recon duty. I'm a member of the New Squidbeak Splatoon." She answered.

"Ah, you guys are the ones that have been a extreme thorn in the side for the military, right?" I questioned, though I already knew the answer.

"Yeah, but anyways, how have you not been captured?" She repeated her main question in a much clearer light.

She got her answer though me flexing my arms. Throughout my years the height and extra muscle I had in comparison to Inklings and Octolings alike gave them second thoughts about testing my mettle.

She grinned understandingly, before asking me what my name was.

"Akali." I told her.

"Good to know, I'm Kl-"

_***Wshhhh* *Thud***_

Before I could even realize what had happened, a squad of Elites was staring me right in the face. The most intimidating of which being a female squad leader, standing roughly 5'9, wielding a modded Octoshot and a malicious glare from her unforgiving, cold blue eyes.

A familiar face then stepped out from behind her.

"Hey hon, remember me?" She said with venom.

**(POV Swap - Klara)**

Akali quickly whispered to me; "_I can take more hits than you, so I'll rush them, meanwhile you super jump away and then hit 'em with that charger of yours."_

She then turned and called out to the Elite; "You're going to need a lot more guns than that to even dream of taking me on, sister."

Akali blitzed the group, and without wasting any time I super jumped away, and suppressed the rest of the squad. I watched on, trying to not laugh (or feel bad) as Akali gave the Octoling that had taunted her earlier the beating of the century. I decided enough was enough and I tossed out a ink cloud grenade in the middle of the group. In the confusion, Akali was able to super jump away from the Octolings, landing a few feet from me on the metal grates I'd been using as a vantage point only a short while ago. We sprinted towards my secret exit to the dome and just as the cloud dissipated, we vanished.

After a short while we made our way out of the Splatoon tunnels and up into the outskirts of Inkopolis.

"So... what were you saying?" She asked as she caught her breath.

"Klara, the name's Klara." I replied, panting.

**(Squad Leader's POV)**

**She was badly bruised, and had a nose bleed trailing blood almost to her belly button.**

"**C'mon, get her to the infirmary before she dries up."**

_**"So, she wasn't lying after all." I thought to myself with a grin.**_

***Author's Note: Well, things are about to get exciting! We have a Human, a Hybrid, and a Cameo. Thanks to A Random Interloper for allowing me to use their characters. If you haven't already, I'd recommend reading their stories, as not only are they very well made, but things may and or may not get confusing with previous knowledge of the characters after a while, but I'll work my hardest to keep things concise and to the point. Have a good one.***


	4. Chapter 3: Prophet Rising

_**Chapter 3: Prophet Rising**_

**Splatoon HQ (Klara's POV)**

"Hey! Captain! Let us in! I have something you'll want to see!" I shouted, praying the old man hadn't fallen asleep.

We waited for five minutes before Akali got impatient, and I didn't want to see her go into a rage so I had to try to lockpick the door. When I opened it, oddly enough, no one was home. The Human was fast asleep, and Cap'n wasn't here so I let Akali sleep on the couch for a bit, and after watching the news for a bit, I decided to join her in dreamland.

**30 Minutes later...**

I woke up to the door opening, the Cap'n was finally back.

"Where have you been?" I asked him.

"Business with the other units." He replied.

"Well next time can you not take so long?"

"Why?" He questioned.

I prodded Akali in the back until she sat up.

"Yuh?" She asked while yawning.

"Agent, are my eyes seeing things correctly?" He asked.

"Yes sir, this is a hybrid. Her name's Akali."

"A Human, a hybrid, what's next? A Samonling?" He joked. "Well done agent. I think you've earned a bit of rest, but that's gonna come later, because look at what I have!"

He pulled out a tablet that seemed to mainly function as a translator.

"We're gonna have a chat with our extinct friend over there." He said.

"Wonderful. Anyone need anything or am I good to get some shuteye?" Akali sarcastically questioned.

"You're good for go to outpost dreamland, squiddo." Cap'n said.

**1 Hour later **

"_C'mon this has to be the right one!"_

Cap'n had been trying to find the right language through alphabetic order. Every time since the Human shook his head to signify it was the wrong one. Finally, we found one called "English", and the Human perked up and nodded, and we all cried three cheers.

**Swap POV (Shepard)**

The squid kids and the old one had been trying forever to find out what language I spoke, and finally after a short eternity they found English. We went back and forth using the translator for communication, and it went fairly well. From there on the old one started to teach me two languages: "Inkish" and "Octarian." Luckily, I'm a fast learner, and I had the basics of both down in roughly a year.

It was a pretty boring year, and it was mostly due to me staying in the shack. Reason being the old one warning me of "danger" outside. I wanted to head out, but I didn't want the old one to have a panic attack should he find me not in the shack, so I stayed. To be fair though, I got food, water, and sleep for free, so I'm good. Eventually, I learned enough to where I could hold a decent conversation, so I started going out a little. Today I even got to talk to the squiddos in the plaza, and I let them take some pictures with me, apparently I'd become a bit of a celebrity. Eventually, I left to head back to the shack, an my heart felt a little warmer. A nice, warm, content feeling made it's home in me by the end of the day.

_This is gonna be the start of something beautiful._

And so it was. The day after that little stunt, I was watching the news with the old man, when suddenly;

***Inkopolis Live!* **

_**Breaking News!**_

Those two that I'd been seeing everywhere, whether it be on posters, tv, or books, they were there. Pearl and Marina, the hosts of Inkopolis news and the most popular music artists Inkopolis had at the time. Their little intro played out, and then;

"Y'all know what time it is!"

"It's Off the Hook, coming at you live from Inkopolis Square, with some breaking news!"

"Yesterday, crowds of hundreds gathered at the square for something absolutely unbelievable!"

"Dear viewer, a human was seen yesterday, yes that's right! A human was walking the square, and taking selfies with anyone willing to ask!"

"We soon expect that Off the Hook may soon even be able to interview him, as he was supposedly striking up conversations with not only Inklings, but the Octolings around the square too!"

"It sure is a time to be alive, eh Marina?"

"It sure is, Pearlie. Well, that's all for the breaking news!"

"Don't get cooked! Stay Off the Hook!"

The broadcast ended, and moments later, the doorbell to the shack rang out. I wondered what it was for, so I picked myself up, walked over and opened the door to check it out. There were four packages laying on the top stair, all signed with the return addresses of various vendors through the square.

"_A tribute to a god."_ I chuckled to myself.

In the packages, there were four different clothing articles, not including a stack of underwear and socks in a smaller box. Those gifts were: a damn fine pair of black, white and gold sneakers, some grey joggers, a black sweatshirt with some white and gold stripes and patterns, and a metallic golden Kensa Logo on the back, with the final package containing a gas mask with gold tinted lenses, that weirdly enough didn't tint your vision when looking through them. Sorta like a one way window, but stained glass. Weird, but who the hell am I to not accept gifts from my fans? I put the clothes on my bed, and decided to write some "thank you" letters to the companies that tossed me some of the best clothes I'd ever had the pleasure of wearing for free. Afterwards, I decided that because no one besides the old man was home, I'd pay Pearl and Marina a visit and take them up on their offer for an interview.

_Well... after I showered, of course. _

**Twenty Minutes Later…**

I had my clothes on, I was showered, and I was ready for anything. I stepped out into the square, and took a minute to admire the view of the ocean, with the gentle, cool spring breeze that could be felt all throughout Inkopolis Square. It was a great day, and I was ready to get a move on. I headed towards the broadcasting station where Pearl and Marina kept Inkopolis up to date on their daily news channel. I knocked on the door after taking the mask off and holding it in my hand, and Marina was actually pretty quick to answer. You'd think the security or something like that would answer so no one had front door access to the two most influential Inklings alive, but whatever.

"Hello, do y-" She was looking at a tablet when she opened the door, but after she looked up and realized who I was, her expression went from indifference to shock very quickly.

"Hey, you still up for the offer on a interview?" I tried my best to not laugh at the look of absolute shock that had probably enveloped her entire being by now.

"Ummmm, yeah! Yeah just follow me." She tried to regain her composure, but her excitement had already gotten the best of her.

We walked for a bit through some brightly lit hallways, with records and photos of the two performing on stage, eventually coming to the main broadcasting room.

"Pearlie, look who I found!" She called out in a sing-song voice.

"Who is i-." The very same look Marina gave me a second or two ago covered Pearl from tentacles to toes. Marina was the one this time trying her hardest not to laugh.

We sat down and talked for a bit, mostly about how I found my way here, and also my opinions on the squiddos here and the square itself. Eventually, Marina got everythign together, and prepared the broadcast. The cameras were ready, and so was I.

"Y'all know what time it is!"

"Off the Hook is coming at you live, with a very special guest!"

"That's right ladies and gentlemen, we're here to interview one of the last humans on Earth, and as of right now, the only one to find Inkopolis!"

"Without further ado, let's get this started!"

The questions came quick, but I was ready for most of them. They were pretty simple for the most part.

"Let's start at the very beginning, Jackson, how'd you find Inkopolis?"

I had to think about my answer for a bit, as my rescuers seemed to be a part of something pretty secretive, so I went with a bit of a lie but still 98% true.

"Well, my preservation pod opened after it's timer finally went off, I gathered my bearings, swam up to the surface, and two inklings saw me at the docks. They wantedme to follow them, so I went with it. Soon enough they taught me to read, write, and speak decent Inkish and Octarian, and one and a half years later, here I am now."

"Nice!" Marina seemed to be trying her hardest to not be in awe, but the whole time Pearl sat there wide-eyed, gobbling up every last word I'd uttered.

"So, now that you're here, what do you think of the square? And also, what do you think of those you've met since you found us here?"

I answered with "Honestly, I think the square's a great place. It's absolutely breathtaking, and that's not even to talk about how Most of you guys seem to be very polite and accepting of absolute strangers, and you all impress me with your love of working towards something greater than yourselves. To be perfectly honest, you guys get along better with each other than humans did back in the day. Thanks to you guys, I'm not going to lose sleep anymore about Earths future, now that I know she's in safe hands."

"Thanks, that's actually really nice." Marina looked like she was about to tear up, but then asked her last question.

"What do you plan on doing during your stay here?"

That was by far the hardest question to answer.

"To be frank, I have no idea. I'll just go along doing whatever I feel, but I used to be a half decent musical artist back in the day, so that might be where I gravitate back towards."

"Oooh, watch out Pearlie, we have competition."

We shared a laugh, waved bye to the cameras, and the broadcast was over. I thanked Pearl and Marina for their time, and headed out to the square. I waved to some onlookers and took a few pictures, but afterwards, I was off on my way back to the shack. Dusk was already fading into night, and as the sun gave way, a bright, white moon appeared in the sky.

"_Night, Inkopolis. See ya tomorrow."_

I entered back into the shack, the old man greeted me, afterwards complimenting my performance. Apparently the latter half of the Inkopolis populace saw the broadcast.

_Guess really am a celebrity now._

And with that thought floating around my head for a bit, I laid down onto my bed, and drifted off into sleep.


	5. Chapter 4: Siege at Sunset

_**Chapter 4: Siege at Sunset**_

**Octarian Dome?**

**(? POV)**

"_Another day, another re-designation. Well, let's see who I'm serving with this time. Elite Squadron Z-904, don't care. Above average equipment, Sieg's personal lap dogs, yippie. Sharp, Eye, Elise Anea, Joanne, and Cassandra. Well that sounds like a fun group. Wait, Cass… why does that… oh right. That sea-witch. Eh, whatever. Adapt or die trying." _

After a long walk I knocked on the door to my Squad's barracks. After a minute or two Cass opened the door for me.

"You're Jacqui, right?"

"You have one guess." I said sarcastically.

"Don't sass me, newbie." She said with a bit of venom.

"Sweetie, I will choke you out with that wire of yours in two seconds flat." I spat back.

She got a good laugh out of that. "Just testing you, but from what I've seen, I like you already."

"Your personal stuff goes over there." Cass pointed to a nearby vacant pod.

She waited for a second while I tossed my stuff into the pod.

"And you and your gear are coming with me." She grabbed me by the shoulder, turned me towards the door, and we set off to join the others.

We met up with Elise and Sharp at the infirmary, when I asked why we were there, Cass casually replied: "We had a… accident. We were sent to capture a half-blood, but Joanne over there thought it would be a great idea to taunt someone with more muscle than her, and also was roughly two feet taller than her."

"She sounds like an absolute genius." I said.

Cass chuckled. "Yeah, but that's Joanne for you. She puts way too much trust into her silver tongue, and she doesn't get that eventually she'll get it ripped straight out of her mouth if she isn't more careful from here on."

I checked to see what the other were doing. Sharp was busy fixing the tablet he uses to communicate, and Elise was gone. "_Probably either trying to put Joanne back together or checking to see if she can make a octoling with four hearts." _I joked to myself.

Just then, the doors to the infirmary opened, and I was shocked at the way Joanne looked. Apparently Cass was too, because she sarcastically said "Geez Joanne, I get some people like to dress up for Halloween early, but calm down with the mummy outfit."

She had bandages wrapped all the way around her face, with the only exposed parts of her head being her eyes, mouth, and tentacles.

She said in a very nasally voice "Cass, I'm going to gut you after these bandages are off."

Cass cackled with laughter. "Watch out guys, the pharaoh is coming for us! What ever shall we do?!"

Even though sharp wore a bandana over his mouth, I could see even he was smiling.

"You guys wait for me at the exit to the dome, I'll show the mummy to her tomb!" Cass called as she and Joanne walked away.

"Well, you guys heard her. Let's get moving!" Elise said, still smiling after Cass verbally ruined Joanne.

***Thirty Minutes Later…***

We were sent out to penetrate a wall of Salmonid defenses in a fortress known to them as "The Unbreakable". It was a fortress that linked the Salmonids up to their main operation zones in the sea. Most wouldn't describe it as a suicide mission, since we had respawn beacons, but that didn't make it easier for the recruits when all of their progress was erased as hundreds of Salmonids rushed to fill the gaps left by their deceased brethren. The reason why the Octarian Military kept trying to take it was because the area was rich in resources, and could provide a strategically invaluable place to set up a firebase, as it was less than a mile from the Inkling dominated Tentakeel Outpost, and would cease Salmonid attacks on our nearby bases. However, we were sent as a last resort, as most elite squads were very busy keeping up with Sieg's recent surveillance missions on Inkopolis after what high command called "major events" had happened, so we'd have to be quick.

We started heading up a hill after we spotted a weak point along the western perimeter, as it had high ground for Sharp to exploit and also would be a covered spot to put our respawn beacon down. We set up shop, and waited for sunset. Once the Sun sank beneath the horizon, the fight was on.

"You ready for this, newbie?" Cass asked.

"What, you think I won't do well?" I said accusingly.

"How about this, whoever gets the least kills buys drinks for the squad. Well, if we get this done." She said.

"Alright Cass, you're on." I said with a grin.

We rushed the Salmonling perimeter guards as Sharp painted the sky with streaks of neon purple. We caught them extremely off guard, quickly making short work of all those that stood in our way. After detonating a charge to blast through the old limestone walls open, I rushed to cover the Salmonid's entrance to the base with my remaining explosives, so we didn't have to deal with reinforcements from the sea. Afterwards, I radioed to my squadmates:

"Wanna hear what 20 pounds of high explosives sounds like?"

A shockwave rocked the base and crumbled the Salmonids entryway, crushing some of them in the process. I super jumped away from the collapsing part of the fortress, and joined up with Cass and Elise on the main field of battle. After we'd fought tooth and nail for twenty minutes straight, victory was in sight. The assault was nearly over. We sabotaged the Salmonid bosses by putting explosives wired up to the ignition of the mechanical ones, and we had already stopped the flow of the others when I bombed their entrance at sea. Eventually, after fourty five minutes of shouting, explosions, and Cass and I showing off, it was over. The fortress had fallen.

Cass radioed to Sieg "Commander, we've taken the fortress. Sieg, time to set up shop."

A reply came moments later. "Well done. Reinforcements are on the way. Hold it until then. ETA ten minutes until additional squads arrive."

I sat down on the edge of the limestone fortress, and Cass came over to join me. We stared off into the night sky for a bit, but then she turned to me.

She said "45."

"49." I replied.

She punched my shoulder lightly and grinned, before turning back towards the beautiful view of the beach. I wouldn't have expected it, but I think there was a bit of friendship going on between me and the very same Octoling who whipped me across the back less than five years ago. Eh, whatever. A friend's a friend, and I doubt she remembers at this point.


	6. Chapter 5: A Shepard and a Showdown

_**Chapter 5: A Shepard and a Showdown**_

***Edge of Inkopolis (Shepard's POV)***

I've been up for about an hour now, roughly since five in the morning. I was sitting on a bench near the guard rails out by the docks, waiting. I don't know why, or for what, to be fully honest with you. I just did. So I sat there, waiting, watching the moon fall down below the horizon, the waves washing up against the concrete, listening to the breeze gently pass me by. It may be weird, but I kinda enjoyed it. I nearly fell asleep once, maybe twice, but afterwards I splashed my face with sea water to try to stay awake, and it worked. Now, for obvious reasons it would've been pretty damn off-putting so just see a human in gold, black, and grey clothes just sitting on a bench, staring off into the sea for an hour, but I didn't think about it at the time. Occasionally I looked back towards the square, devoid of the bright neon lights you'd usually see lighting the place up, but instead of it being creepy, or surreal like how it would seem to basically everyone else, I thought it all just seemed pretty nice and peaceful.

**1 Hour Later…**

"Hey, you ok?" I turned around, and the tall one was standing a foot or two behind me.

"Yeah. I'm good." I replied before turning out to face the sea.

She walked over and sat down next to me. Seagulls were starting to fly around in the distance, woken by daylight piercing through the long night, leaving the golden and orange horizon to wake Inkopolis. Eventually, she seemed bored and started to chat back and forth with me for a bit.

"So, I saw the interview between you and Off the Hook. Inspiring stuff for the most part. Nice job." She complemented with a pat to the back.

"Thanks, honestly though, it wasn't as big of a deal as everyone's making it seem. I got on there, I spoke my mind, and here we are. Not to say I don't appreciate everything that's happened though." I clarified while looking at my Kensa sweatshirt. "I just feel as though some of these people aren't used to speaking their mind."

"Well, a few of them aren't." She said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, before you arrived, not everything was all sunshine and rainbows. Octolings were sorta a giant target for discrimination, and prejudice. The worst of which by far went to hybrids like me."

"Why?" I wondered aloud.

She went on to basically explain how Inklings and Octolings used to not be on very good terms for an extremely long time. The Octolings around the square, however untrustworthy in the eyes of their peers at the time, did manage to shift the way most Inklings view Octolings. She also explained that the leader of the Octarians, a guy by the name of "DJ Octavio" was sort of a dictator in a way, and did not like Inklings, given he was alive for something referred to as "The Great Turf War". She also explained that most Octarian soldiers were brainwashed by propaganda or hypnotized to the point where they'd gladly shoot a Inkling on sight, believing them to feel and act the very same as the soldiers who'd abandoned them in the underground all those years ago.

It was a lot to take in, and a bit of a shock given the nearly utopia-like image of Inkopolis, but I just shook my head, remembering the effects of the Civil War in my home country the all those millennia ago. Even a century after it finished, people were harassed and even killed just for the color of their skin. I thought to myself "_There's a way to stop this. I'll figure out how if it kills me. The Octarians and Inklings don't deserve to have to suffer through the same mistakes that lead to the extinction of those before them."_

After thinking for a bit, I turned to her and asked one simple question.

"How do I fix this?"

"I don't know. You'd have to a prophesied savior of Inklings and Octarians alike to fix things at this point." She said only half seriously.

"Well, I'm the last known standing member of a bygone race, I'm dressed in Gold, grey, white, and black, and my last name is Shepard. Sound close enough?" I said to her with a smile.

"Fits the bill to me, my lord." She replied, returning the same smile I was giving her.

So, after we returned to the shack, I thought and thought for hours on end about a negotiation to end the split between the Octarians and Inklings, and after three hours, it clicked.

_**Fusion Generators!**_

The entire reason behind the Octarians suffering was a general loss of power, and receiving a practically unlimited power source from their worst enemy was sure to break the cold war between the Octarians and Inklings, and could fix everything in one fell swoop!

There was some issues though. They were rare, I didn't have the blueprints, and I damn well didn't have the resources to build it. But I did however know someone with connections who **could **get someone to make it. The old man.

**OK, so the plan went as follows:**

Talk to the old man.

Find (or create) blueprints for the generator.

Wait until the generator is done being manufactured.

Present to Octarians in power.

World Peace.

Take a vacation to a tropical island.

**Issues with the plan:**

Step 2.

Step 4 not going as planned.

There may not be any more tropical islands.

So, I waited for the old man to finally get back to the shack, itching to spread the idea around.

**Meanwhile… (Jacqui's POV)**

Cass bought us all drinks after our victory at the fortress, and Cass being herself, made me an offer.

"How about this, whoever holds out the longest wins. You win, and you get total freedom to freely roam any Octarian controlled territory or settlement for one whole day. If I win, you get a big smooch from yours truly." She said with a malicious grin.

I thought about it for a second, and replied "You're on, sister."

"Joe! Keep 'em coming!" She called to the bartender.

We each held out for way longer then we should've, eventually I beat Cass by two drinks, and she nearly fell off the bar stool before admitting defeat.

"_A_'i_gh_t, _ya _wi_n_ ne_wb_y. *hic* L_et_'s g_o_ b_ac_ to the *hic* b_arri_cks." Sharp payed for our drinks, and Cass lumbered off in a drunken daze.

"Y_ay_y, I *hic* _we_n!" I feel into Elise's lap, everything faded to black, and I slept for a while with a warm, fuzzy feeling in my gut. Probably vomit, but who knows.


	7. Chapter 6: Power Struggles

_**Chapter 6: Power Struggles**_

**Splatoon Headquarters… (Shepard's POV)**

I ran through the idea with the old man, after which he exclaimed:

"I knew humans were smart, but kid, you're a genius!"

"Do you know anyone capable of making this thing in the first place?" I asked.

He thought to himself for a moment, snapped his fingers, and said: "I know just the right woman." I headed out with him into the early morning daylight, with the warm, gold-orange skies blanketing Inkopolis. We walked what I'd guess to be about two miles, before we reached a large, shimmering, metal factory. Before we headed inside, I jokingly asked the old man: "You sure your legs are ok after walking that far, grandpa?"

He pulled out a keycard and replied: "Never been better."

The doors opened, and inside I bore witness to some of the most impressive tech I'd ever seen. Robots cleaned the facility to a spotless shining mass of metal and glass, advanced cameras hooked to the ceiling, and drones flying packages to other areas of the facility. I looked up, and couldn't believe my eyes after seeing who was at the head of it all.

"Marina, what is this place?" I called up to her, still in awe of everything around me.

"Oh, Jackson, I wasn't expecting you to be here." She said with a questioning smile.

"Well, this is the single most advanced facility above ground. I'm pretty sure you've seen most of the wonders we come up with here, so I won't nerd out on the details." Marina hopped down to us from the balcony of her office, and said: "So, what're you here for?"

I ran through the plan with her, and her excitement nearly started leaking out of her ears. When I asked if she'd help build the generator, she jumped up, and shouted loud enough to wake Octavio himself: "_**Shell yes**__!"_

I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. She ran off to grab a few of her fellow engineers, and ran through the idea with them. After about an hour, she dismissed them and told them to wait for her to join them.

She walked up to me, and said: "We've got everything sorted out, but ask Cap'n Cuttlefish if he can send his dive teams out to find blueprints. I used to be way into this sort of thing, but never thought I'd be able to get the blueprints alive."

She handed me a set of coordinates, and finished the conversation with: "If you find those blueprints, get them to me as soon as possible. If all goes well, it should take three years. I know it's a long time, but it will be worth it." I turned to get back to the old man, but then she called out: "Jackson!"

I turned around, and she walked up to me and handed me something. _Concert tickets. _I looked to her, and she said: "Thanks, for trying to help my people. I know it's not a lot, but it's the best I can do."

With a warm smile, I said: "I'll get it done if it kills me. I promise."

***Five minutes later…***

On the long walk back the the square, me and the old man chatted back and forth about the plan, and he brought up something I forgot about completely when making the plan:

"What about Octavio and the Octoweapons?"

I turned to him and said: "Rally your splatoons, or whatever you call them. The best you can offer. I'll personally run them through the mission, they'll disable the Octoweapons. If need be, I'll go straight to Ocativo himself, and put one right between his eyes if he won't willingly move on past his hatred."

He nodded, and we turned back to the long road ahead, with the midday sun beaming down on us. The golden-orange skies that had spread once more across the entirety of Inkopolis had faded into a deep blue, with little white clouds dotting the sky. We walked back into the shack, and decided to give the orders to the dive teams tomorrow. The plan had reshaped itself, and now functioned like so:

*Send the Dive Teams to Get the Blueprints.

*Send Blueprints to Marina.

*Construction (3 Years).

*Test to Insure the Thing Works in the First Place.

*Disable and Destroy Octoweapons.

*If Necessary, Assassinate Octavio.

*Give the Octarians a Few Generators.

*Take a Vacation to a Tropical Island.

One thing stuck with me. In the 3+ years the plan would encompass, what in the hell was I supposed to do? I asked the old man, and he asked if I was a good at making beats or at making songs. I told him a bit about my past, and he told me that resurrecting it would probably be the best course of action.

_What would my name be though?_

**It all clicked at once.**

"_Well, I'm the last standing member of a bygone race, I'm dressed in Gold, grey, white, and black, and my last name is Shepard. Sound close enough?" _

"_Fits the bill to me, my lord."_

**Prophet. The name's Prophet.**

***Author's Note: Sorry for both the short chapter, and my recent inactivity. I've been getting bombarded by homework (And Inner Agent 3), so I need a little bit to focus on that, but expect longer than average chapters to be coming soon. (Hopefully starting tomorrow)***

**Have a good one, and thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 7: Broken Steel

_**Chapter 7: Broken Steel**_

**Cluster Z-904 (Jacqui's POV)**

_**(Same Day as Chapter 6)**_

I woke up in the middle of the night with a small headache thanks to yesterday. I decided to check my clock to see what time it was. Four in the morning. I rose out of bed to head to the bathroom, and did what I had to. On the way back though, I noticed something out of the ordinary coming from one of the rooms in the hallway; crying. I snuck around the hall, and listened a bit closer, trying to find out where it was coming from.

Eventually, after bouncing from room to room, I walked up to the door to Cass' room. Surprisingly enough, it was actually her. There was something else though, among the sobbing, I could notice something be repeated a few times... A name: Amanda. I opened the door a tiny bit, and Cass was sitting upright, hands covering her eyes, and tears were flowing down her face. I quietly walked over to her out of instinct, and figured the best I could do was comfort her. I stood next to her for a second, gently stroking her tentacles to try to calm her, and suddenly she looked up to me. Her eyes were hazy and red from crying. The beautiful cold blue in her eyes was starting to melt alongside her usual ice cold glare. I couldn't help but feel terrible for her. But while nearly choking on her own tears, she said one word: "Amanda?"

"Cass, it's me, Jacqui." I replied quietly. I felt horrible telling her I wasn't who she was hoping for, but I figured it would be worse if I told her I was whoever 'Amanda' was.

She reached over to me, wrapped her arms around me, and cried over my shoulder. I was on the verge of tears, but before I could join her in her sobbing, she quieted down, let go of me, and wiped her eyes. She looked me in the eyes and said one word I'd never thought I'd hear leave her lips;

"Sorry." She laid back down on her bed, and I felt like I had to do something, so I sat on the edge of her bed for a bit, and after a few moments of near absolute silence, asked:

"Who's Amanda?" I felt bad because I figured I might accidentally have just stricken a nerve, and she'd let the rivers run loose all over again, but she seemed fairly open about it, as moments later I got my answer.

"A girl I used to be into. She died in a dome collapse, and it's all thanks to my dumbass."

"How's it your fault if it was a dome collapse?"

"Well, whatever cruel bitch who decides on what happens in life thought I deserved to have someone to distract me from this hell hole that we call home. She helped me escape my vicious cycle of endlessly getting screwed over by life, and one night, she asked me if she could sleep with me in my pod. That was back when I was still advanced class. I got nervous and said: "Sorry, maybe later." and the morning after, I woke up only to hear from my bitch of a sister that my one and only friend in this world had gotten killed in a dome collapse. And of course, all I had to do was say: "yes". But, I got nervous, so now we're here... and...**_ *sigh*_** _she isn't_."

She sat there for a bit, before quietly adding on;

"She didn't deserve to die like that, a girl who only saw the best in people. Hell, she found a good side in me."

Dead silence encompassed the whole room for a minute. I sniffled as I began to quietly cry. I nearly broke down, remembering something similar that happened to me five years prior to now.

She walked over to me and asked "You ok?"

_Well, she'd given me her sob story, so I might as well do the same._

"Five years ago, I was patrolling alongside my closest friend. We were sent to exterminate a salmonid breeding ground, it was pretty simple... but just as we finished... a maw ... came out of nowhere. I rushed back to the respawn beacon to take cover, and to regroup with him... It was shattered into a thousand pieces. A salmonling destroyed it, and sparks were flying everywhere. That was the last time I ever saw him. Just the snap of a jaw... and he never came back."

I sat there for a minute, wiped my watery eyes and said; "Splat it. I'll just go back to my room. Sorry if I made your mood worse, Cass."

She sat there, totally quiet, but just as I was about to leave, she said;

"Hey, if you want to you can stay here for a bit."

_Might as well._

_***Three Hours later…***_

_Well, back to the daily routine._ I grabbed my gear, and prepared for the journey ahead. I decided spend my free day over at the beachside fortress, which had now earned the official title "Firebase Rubicon". I liked the name, simple, but intimidating. I walked around, chatting with some of the octotroopers stationed there before I decided to head up to get a view of the beach from one of the recently installed sniper towers. I sat there for a while, staring off into the sea. I don't know why, but I did. It felt calm and peaceful.

_Eh, guess I could rest here for a bit._

**_..._**

About thirty minutes later, a sharp sound peaked my interests, so I grabbed my scoped charger to check it out. It sounded like it had came from Tentakeel Outpost. It was the closest Splatoon held outpost to Rubicon, to the point where it posed a serious threat to us should the inklings realize who their new neighbors are. I put the charger to maximum zoom, and I must've been drinking way too much last night, because on my life, there was a Splatoon agent talking to a Hybrid by the outpost. They finished their conversation, and the Hybrid waved to the Inkling before heading into a grate far from the kettles that used to lead to our territories. I laid my charger back down where I found it, and hauled ass back to my squad.

_**Ooooh, Cass is gonna have a field day with this...**_

***Twenty Minutes Later…* (Cass' POV)**

Someone was in a hurry to reach me, because while me and Elise were sitting down to eat lunch, they damn well nearly broke the door down knocking. I walked over to the door, and opened it.

"What do you wan- oh, hey Jacqui."

She looked like she was about to burst, so we walked back to our table and I asked her what had happened.

"You aren't going to believe me if I pay you" She said

"Try me." I remarked.

"Well, remember our old half-breed friend?"

My eyes widened.

"Well I may and or may not have gotten a peak of her having a nice lil' chat with a splatoon agent."

I Nearly spat my drink on Elise.

"_**What!?" **_

**Author's Note****: I've finally gotten everything down, and after probably two hundred attempts, ya boy has finally beaten agent three, so expect things to revert back to normal (at least schedule-wise). I'm focusing more on making bigger and better chapters, and I just felt as though I owed it to you guys to get another chapter out, so sorry if this is a bit shorter than average. Basically, the takeaway is: Expect Daily Chapters that are larger than normal.**

***One final note, I'm getting a drawing tablet come my birthday, so expect a much less shitty version of the cover art coming soon.* **

***As per usual, thanks for reading, and have a good one!***


	9. Chapter 8: Gospel of the Prophet

_**Chapter 8: Gospel of the Prophet**_

**Splatoon Headquarters…(Shepard's POV)**

_Maybe I just... no. Gotta make it unique. Tell them your story, what's to come of the future. Yeah, that might just make a decent one._

_***Knock Knock Knock***_

_Eh, I'll finish it later. Might as well get the door. _

**...**

"Oh hey, I haven't seen you in a while."

It was the hybrid. She'd disappeared out of the blue, and had been gone for what I'd only guess to be about four or five hours while I was trying to write out some lyrics to a song I was planning on releasing. It's actually pretty impressive how she's the largest and strongest out of anyone in the shack, -me included- but surprisingly enough, no one seems to notice her. She's just… well, there.

"I ran out with Klara to do some basic training at one of the splatoon outposts. Turns out I'm a half-decent shot. She thinks if I continue doing as well as I did on simulations, I'd be able to join the splatoon soon enough." She seemed to chuckle at the last bit, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised, given her strength and speed.

"Honestly, I think you'd do a damn fine job." Well, I wasn't lying.

"Awww, thanks!" She gave me a hug, and I'm surprised my spine didn't crack. Probably because they don't have the added strength from bones _(lucky for me)_. Whatever the case, she let go and asked;

"So, I've seen you at that desk for the past few days. What'cha been working on?"

"Wait, days?" I don't know why, but it only felt like I'd started working on it earlier this morning.

"Yeah, you've passed out in your chair three times from exhaustion. I had to take off your shirt and clean it earlier because you drooled on it." She said with a grin.

"Ya know, I was kind of wondering why I woke up without a shirt on... well, in any case, I appreciate it." I walked off, and thought to myself _Thank god it wasn't on the hoodie._

I was nearly back in my room before Akali called out:

"Wait! You still haven't answered my question!" from the main room.

"Oh, right! I'm working on writing lyrics to a song. You can check it out later, if you want to." I invited her.

"Sure!" She replied.

***Thirty Minutes Ago... (Leo's POV)***

_Where is she going?_

…

_Wait, is she following Akali?_

…

_Splat it!_

I'd been following an Octoling around for ten to twenty minutes by now. I originally spotted her back at the square, trying to blend in, but she didn't have the thinner and more brightly colored tentacles of the octolings that hung around the square to socialize. She had black tentacles, and I saw what seemed to be an earpiece hanging on her ear. I soon started following her, and she began moving erratically throughout the square, like she was trying to lose me, even though she didn't know I was there. I never let myself fall into her line of sight, or let her out of my sight.

Soon enough, I saw who she was hunting for. Akali had been training with Klara and I earlier for a few hours to see if she had a good shot, probably because she was tired of running for years on end, and wanted to wrap her head around a weapon she could use, whether it be in self-defense or just screwing around. She had left the outpost a little before noon, and as soon as she came back to the square, the octoling got off her bench and began following Akali.

She snuck around behind Akali, just as she left the crowded square on the way to the HQ. I had to get her off Akali before she found the headquarters, and compromised us all. I had dualies in my pocket, so I'd be fine if a fight broke out. All I have to do is find the right place. She followed Akali silently through a narrow alleyway, and that was close enough to home. I jumped off the roof I was standing on, and rolled as I hit the ground.

"So, what do you think you're doing here?" I said as I drew my daulies.

She looked over her shoulder, and said:

"Leaving."

She super jumped away, and I didn't give chase, as not only would that cause a panic, but all I needed was for her to get away from Akali and the HQ. I walked back to the Square, just to make sure she wasn't waiting among the crowd. After a careful look-over, I resumed my patrol.

**Octarian Dome-?**

**Octarian High Command… (? POV)**

"**Sir, I found her."**

"_**Ah, so Cassandra's report was accurate after all…"**_

"**What's next, Commander?"**

"_**Continue to monitor the square, but do not engage in armed combat. Understood?" **_

"**Roger."**

"_**Let's see what those Inklings are up to."**_

***One Week Later...***

**Splatoon Headquarters…(Shepard's POV)**

Well, it's finally done. After about two weeks, I've made the song to the best of my ability. It was one of many to come, but first I figured I'd probably want to get something that would allow me to use some sort of social media to at least spread the word, as I definitely wouldn't get anywhere selling records in a place like this. Luckily I knew just the right person to help me out. I walked over to the broadcasting station for Off the Hook, and sat down in the main lobby, telling one of the guards I was here to talk to Marina. After a minute passed, the guard returned and said: "She says you can come in, sir."

_Well, let's not keep her waiting._

"Hey Jackson!" Marina called in a sing-song voice.

"Hey Marina. So, I've been getting back into music, and I have a song I'm about to release. Thing is, I have no way to upload it or to spread the word, so I was wondering if there's any way to integrate your tech into my phone, so I can use the same stuff as you guys. That possible?" I asked.

"Yep, in fact I actually did it once or twice way back when, just to screw around with some relics, but that was a while ago, and I'm a _teeny_ bit rusty now… Basically, yes, but it'll take a little while. Maybe just under a week."

"Alright, thanks Marina." I handed her my phone, and then said; "You've really been a huge help. If there's anything I can do to repay you, just ask, ok?"

"Yeah... no problem, Jackson."

She took my phone and walked away, and (I swear on my life) she seemed to be blushing a tiny bit. I laughed to myself and started the walk back to the shack. Day had already moved to sunset, and sunset was slowly fading into night. I told Akali about the new song and me finally getting some sort of social media, and she congratulated me, (albeit slightly sarcastically) before asking;

"Hey, so... if you're coming out with a new song, can I be the first to hear it?"

We both laughed, and I told her I might even let her get the album for free. I watched TV for a bit, and after a little while, Akali fell asleep with a blanket tucked around her, with a smile across her face nearly a mile wide. I got bored, so I turned off the TV, and went to my room to get some sleep. Apparently the Inklings got here before me, because I saw a glow through the bottom of the door showing the lamp in their room had been turned on, probably so Klara could read. She did seem to be a bit of a bibliophile to be fully honest, but I used to be into reading myself, so I didn't blame her. Leo on the other hand, did. As I was lying down, I could hear him saying "Klara, turn off the splatting light before I long-arm it out the window." I chuckled to myself, closed my eyes, and let the warm, gentle, void of unconsciousness slowly take me over.

***One week later* **

A week had passed by and not much new happened. Marina and Pearl talked about an upcoming 'splatfest' (whatever that was) and I mostly talked to the squiddos around the plaza and screwed around in the arcade. I even got a couple of highscores, so there's that. It was about midway through the day, and while I was sitting down on a bench facing the sea, I reached down in my pocket to take a picture, only to turn up empty-handed and remember I didn't have my phone.

"Oh right... I should probably head back to see if Marina's on schedule with that upgrade." I though aloud.

***10 Minutes later***

_***Knock Knock Knock***_

"Yeah?"

"Hey Marina, it's Jackson. Is my phone ready yet?"

"Oh! Right!"

She opened the door and held my phone in her hand. She handed it over and I took a second to look at it. She'd given it a black and gold makeover, as well as it now sporting a new look to it's OS.

"I installed most of the things you'll need on a regular basis, beyond that, the operating system has been upgraded to be up to date, and I also gave your case a nice little makeover to match your gear." She summarized with a proud smile.

"Thanks Marina, I'll figure out the rest from here. Have a good one." I said.

"No worries. See ya later!" She called as I left.

I grinned as I walked along the vibrant streets of Inkopolis, now thinking of all the new possibilities I now held in my hand.

_This is gonna be the start of something beautiful. _

***Author's Note: Well, I'm finally back. Sorry for being gone for so long, but now it's summer I'm gonna start getting back into writing whenever I have enough time to crank out another chapter. I'll see if I can get another chapter out over the weekend to make up for lost time. As always, thanks for reading, and have a good one. I'll see you guys come the next chapter.***

**P.S: I've given Chapter 7 a much needed rewrite as I just personally thought that it could've been written a helluva lot better than how I did it the first time around. Head back to it should you want to see the changes.**


	10. Chapter 9: The Abyssal Bulwark

_**Chapter 9: The Abyssal Bulwark**_

**?...**

**(? POV)**

_In this life, I am known by three names. _

"Right flank! They're coming from the right flank!"

"There's another wave!"

_The Siegebreaker._

"Wait, where's the Captain?!"

_Mountama,_

"Forget him! We need to get the hell out of here!"

"Come on! To the gates!"

_And Kyrion, the Legionless._

***Wrrrrrrrr…* *Slam***

_And yet, the last thing I'd ever be called was none of these things. The last name I'd ever be called before it all faded away, was 'son.'_

**Meanwhile...**

"_Follow mommy sweethearts! We're going to see Aunt Mari!"_

"_Yay!"_

_***SLAM!***_

_Ugh… Come on sleepyhead, it's only a scratch, wake up… I think the sky is on fire… Why is it all red… Why do I feel warm… No… That's the ground… Hnnngg, hurts to stand... but they're not after me... I just need to find Lotus… The neon signs are shining through the dark… It's so pretty… I think I see someone… She's running towards me… She's giving me a hug… This is comfy… I guess I'll rest for a bit._

**Three days later…**

"_Ky..._ da_rli_n**g**, p_le_a**se**, w_ak_e u**p**…"

I woke with a start, another nightmare to add to the pile. Best try to figure out where in the hell I am. It's a dark room, freezing cold, more so than usual for a place down here. I felt my chest. Someone had tied it up with a cloth and seemed to have bandaged my other cuts and bruises too.

"Ky?! You're awake!" A familiar voice called out.

"Lotus? That you?" I asked the black air before me.

"Oh Cod, I'd gotten so nervous that you were a goner... It's been so lonely without you, dear."

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't just abandon my friends out of nowhere… I had to watch out for them, you know how it is down here."

"It's fine, I'm just glad you're still alive. Get some rest, and we can talk in the morning."

"Alright, night, Lotus."

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

I didn't get to sleep as quickly as I wanted to, as my mind was all over the place just trying to piece together exactly what happened before I went unconscious not even four days ago. But, it was only until I remembered the trademark bright green and blue tone of my foes before I remembered who we'd been fighting.

_Tomorrow, I need to get Lotus to tell me what the hell happened before Caspia falls. I need to regroup with my squad... _

While I was lost in thought, trying to grip my memories in place for just long enough for me to gaze into their true shape, something was also trying to get a hold on me, and as I lay there, countless thoughts trying to circulate around in my head to fit together a long forgotten puzzle, the black void consumed my sight, and I fell into the warm abyss of sleep.

**Tomorrow Morning:**

I woke up at roughly 8:30 the next day, I got out of bed, and walked out onto the porch to have a chat with Lotus.

"Mornin', sleepyhead, are your wounds feelin' any better?"

"A little, yeah… Hey, Lotus, I have to ask you some stuff."

We talked on for an hour or more before I had the information I needed, and armed with it, I headed out to the guard posts at Caspia Minor to be redesignated as a Captain.

In short, the situation had gotten much worse. The Sanitized hordes had carved their way through the outer border towns of Caspia, and now stood hungeredly gazing at the walls of Caspia.

They were a menace, who stood under no known directive, now that whatever forced had previously had controlled their great armies had been destroyed. They now terrorize their nearby neighbors, and every time they carve their path into a town, they capture it's citizens and soldiers alike, only to swell their ranks to an even more unimaginable scale.

We stood as one of few civilizations that had managed to fight them off, as we were much stronger than any of those who tried before us. But, our strength was beginning to falter.

Previously, we'd set up jammers to block those the probing eyes of those above who might look to us as not an ally, but an opportunity, one to seize territory, and our people. But, while we keep our existence a secret, a new threat has emerged, and is something far beyond our capacity to fight off, and very soon, those ancient jammers may have to be destroyed, as otherwise, Caspia would fall, and the Abyss would forever be a bulwark of darkness, from which no light would ever escape.

***Author's Note: Hey everyone, so I finally got around to making that new cover art, and while it may not be great, it's a fine improvement. Speaking of improvements, I finally had time to read back through my story, and I fixed some plot holes / crappy writing on my part. Those of you who are willing, feel free to go back and read through it, but be warned, the changes haven't been showing up for me, and they may not for you guys too. I'm working to see if I can fix it. Thanks for reading, and have a good one guys and gals.***


	11. Chapter 10: Of Spies and Splatfests

_**Chapter 10: Of Spies and Splatfests**_

**Inkopolis Square (? POV)**

"_**Eye, are you in position?"**_

"You have a radar tracker on me, not to mention access to my cam feed, and yet you're still gonna ask me that?"

"_**Stop being a wise-ass, or I'll head up there and bend your tentacles the wrong way around."**_

"I'm vewwy sowwy missus Cassawndwa, may I make it up to u pwetty pwease?"

"_**Uuugh, you and Joanne are absolutely insufferable. Tell me when the party starts so I can get into your cam feeds."**_

"A'ight, Eye going blind."

_Now where's a nice li'l place to set up shop? Oooh, that's a very nice rooftop. _

_Hup! Alright, now, where's that stage of theirs at... Aha! Let's see, a couple of squids watching Pearl and Marina get their things in order… Spyke looking suspicious as usual… Hmm... No Hybrid. Maybe those squid-heads were smart for once and didn't decide to put their assets on full display. This may complicate things a bit._

"Yo, Cass, I've checked every particle of air in a half-mile radius, but I don't see any Hybrids wandering around."

"_**Of splatting course… *Sigh* Just hang around up there for another hour or so, I'll check the cam feeds. If there's nothing by then, we'll just call it off and try another time."**_

**Meanwhile…**

**Splatoon Headquarters... (Shepard's POV)**

Me and the gang were hiding out inside the shack, mostly to watch a broadcast of the splatfest, but also so we didn't chance getting caught out in the open by the supposed "danger" the Old Man was talking about.

It was still pretty entertaining, with all the bright colors and music.

_I'll give one thing to the Inklings and Octolings, they know how to party._

Even from half a mile away I could still hear the music off in the distance when I went out with Akali to get some fresh, cool, midnight air.

"You know, I've been thinking about something." I told her.

"What if we organized the Splatoon into a genuine military force? They already seem to have lethal efficiency even with communication problems, and not even a single leader except for the Old man. What would happen if we got them all together, made one single base of operations, and really started coordinating?" I wondered aloud.

"Honestly, I have no idea. It would probably easily be among the strongest armies on the planet... depending on what type of people you could muster, of course." She said.

"Yeah, maybe that's the next bright idea I'll hand over to him." I said, lost in thought.

"Question is" Akali began "where are you gonna find captains or commanders?"

I thought about that for a moment. Leaders seemed to be very rare, and very expensive in this day and age, so I'd need to figure out how in the hell I'd get one on my side.

"Heh maybe you just ask nicely." She chuckled to herself.

_Wait a minute, that just might work…_

"Girl, you're a genius." I walked back inside, with Akali now donning a look of complete confusion on her face as my mind began to put everything together.

**Meanwhile…(Eye's POV)**

Well, it was already half an hour past midnight, and there was still no sign of the Hybrid. Cass signed off, and I began to pack up my things and grab my deployable cameras, stuffing them into my supply bag as I snuck back down into the Central Domes. I entered, and Cass leaned on a nearby column.

"Nothing?" She asked.

"Nothing."

"Something tells me the Half-Blood isn't gonna be as dumb as we expected." She began.

"This is gonna be much harder than laying and waiting for her to just wander into our view. We need to catch her somewhere she won't expect us, or where she'll feel comfortable enough to let down her guard."

"I think I know just the place" I replied with a grin.

She looked at me, reflecting my grin and said "I'm listening…"

**Two Days Later… (Klara's POV)**

"Good splatting. Well, Akali, I think it's time we head back to the Headquarters so the Cap'n can accept you into the Splatoon. You've aced these tests with flying colors. Congrats!"

She lifted her head, and looked at me with tired, emerald colored eyes, and said;

"Thanks Klara, I couldn't have done any of this without your inspiration, remember that. It's been a great time training with ya."

"Feeling's mutual." I said, smiling.

We were about to head home, but then something sharp and small stung my back, and shortly after, I began to feel tired, and I collapsed as I heard shouting nearby, my vision slowly fading to black…

**One Hour Later…**

I yawned as I woke up. It was the middle of the day, and for some reason, my heart and mind were racing… what was it about… oh right, Akali… wait!

"_AKALI!"_ I cried out.

I began searching every outpost from head to toe, but she was nowhere to be found.

"Splat it all!" I cursed.

Akali had been captured, and it was all my fault…

**?, Octarian Dome 28… (Akali's POV)**

_Uuugh, where am I? Why does my head hurt so much… _

"Oh, you're finally awake." A familiar voice welcomed me into an unknown place.

"Where the shell am I!?" I shouted at the voice, my eyes slowly adjusting to the intense light being shone at me.

"I'm gonna be asking the questions here, unless you want this to answer you."

As my eyes adjusted, I say the face of the squad leader from a while ago.

_What was her name? Cass, I think?_

She brushed a bat against my tentacles, and I was only growing more and more pissed by the second. But, that wouldn't do much, as I was held to a tall steel slab that went from the roof to the floor by metal clamps, so whoever was holding me wasn't stupid.

"Alright then, what do you want from me, Cassie?" I asked.

"Don't try to be tough, big girl." She warned me with a bat pointed at my throat.

I shut upo for obvious reasons.

"Good girl. For starters, where's the headquarters?" She glared at me, her bat pointed towards my throat.

I hesitated, and she must've noticed because she repeated her question a bit louder this time.

"_Where. IS. IT?"_

_"Splat yourself." _Came the quiet reply.

She swung.

**_*THWAK!*_**

_She has a good swing, that's definitely gonna leave a mark..._

"Tell me you weak little runt."

Look who's talking." I coughed.

That pissed her off.

"Alright then." She grinned. "I'll leave you with a reminder why you never mess with an elite."

She whipped out a switch blade, and I kinda panicked.

She must've noticed, because a sadistic grin appeared on her face, and she began carving a code into the bruise on my stomach. "c-008"

I tried not to cry out in pain. After she was done, I told her. I didn't want to see what would happen if I defied her further.

***Cough cough* **

"Half a mile east of Inkopolis Square, on Limestone Ave."

"There we go. Was that all that hard?" She said sarcastically.

"Now, I'm just going to leave ya here, and have a chat with Sieg. I'll be right back for you, big girl."

_Did she just wink at me?_

The door slammed shut, and my mind was running laps trying to figure out how in the shell I'd get out of here...

**Meanwhile…**

**Caspia Minor Guard Offices… (Kyrion's POV)**

"Cod above, Ky, what in the shell happened to ya, buddy?"

"Not important, where is Squad Alpha Three at?" I asked sternly.

"They're posted about a quarter of a mile from here. I can give you the coords, but are you sure you're okay? That's a nasty gash buddy."

"Raz, I'll be fine, just give me the damn coords."

"A'ight, here they are. Go get 'em tigerfish."

I placed the coords into my HUD, got my gear on and started the trudge over to Alpha Three. My wounds had healed, but not as quickly as I needed them too.

_This is gonna be a long week._


	12. Chapter 11: Old Friends and Older Foes

_**Chapter 11: Old Friends and Older Foes**_

**Splatoon Headquarters… (Shepard's POV)**

_***Yawn***_ _Sun, what took you so long, buddy?_

I rose up and sat on the edge of my bed. I looked down at my watch.

_7:30 in the morning. Well that gives me a whole lotta time to think..._

I couldn't shake the idea I came up with last night, and I was more concerned than anything about it actually working.

_If I was able to convince an Octarian Commander to join the Splatoon, -probably under the promise we'd set up the generators after whatever came next- would they be able to lead an army against their own people? _

_...Would they even be that loyal in the first place?_

I stood up and got my clothes on after taking a quick, warm shower, and after brushing my teeth, I left for the square so I could sit down for a bit. Weird as it may be to some, that place seemed to help me think more clearly.

On the way there, my mind continued to race on.

_...Could they even be convinced?_

_...Would they even be intimidated by an army without leaders?_

I rounded a corner, and almost literally ran into a familiar face.

"Jackson! They have Akali!" Klara called to me from a distance.

It didn't take me long to realize what she'd meant.

_Oh, shit..._

"Come on!" I shouted to her as we sprinted back to the Headquarters.

***Minutes Later…* (Klara's POV)**

I pounded on the door, praying Cuttlefish wasn't a heavy sleeper.

Soon enough, the door creaked open, revealing two big white eyes.

"Now, what's all the bangin' for? You'll wake up Octavio himself if you pound the door any harder!" He said with a glare.

"Cap'n, thank Cod you're awake! The Octarians squidnapped Akali!" I informed him.

"Oh no… Come inside, quick!"

We went inside and gathered around the living room. As always, yours truly had to wake up Leo.

"Come on Leo, this is an emergency!"

"_Alright_, alright. Give me a second to wake up." He said in reply.

Leo walked with me to the living room, rubbing his dreary eyes.

The Cap'n broke the silence after we had all been seated.

"Alright Klara, tell us what happened."

"Yesterday, around noon, I was preparing to return back here after Akali and I finished up her training sessions at Tentakeel Outpost, but just as we were about to leave, a squad of Octolings hit us with tranq darts, and from what I could hear while I was on the ground, Akali put up a fight, but the tranquilizer started getting to her, they subdued her, and then just ran off with her." I informed them.

Cap'n took the helm of the conversation from there.

"Now that Akali is in enemy hands, I'm very concerned that they may already be putting her through interrogation, and after that, they will likely begin live testing on her since Hybrids are a rarity in the modern day. The Octarians have a very limited understanding on Hybrids, and I fear they may be even quicker in trying to apply her strength in a military setting than we were. Which means, at the very worst, we're talking hypnoshades, as well as genetic modification."

He paused for a bit.

"First, we'll likely have to set up shop in another Splatoon HQ, as Akali knows this one is expendable, so there's no way she'd willingly go through torture over something that's practically useless. We'll take what we need, and join up with the Squidbeaks."

I was shocked to say the least. The Squidbeaks were easily the most skilled and talented out of any force the Splatoon could muster, and we were just gonna sit down and play cards with them from here on out.

"Alright Cephalon Splatoon, grab what you're gonna need, and let's go!"

"**Yes, sir!" **Me and Leo said in unison.

***Twenty Minutes later… (Shepard's POV)***

Well, we had grabbed what we needed, and we were heading on our way to whatever the 'Squidbeak HQ' was. From what I gathered, these were basically the best the Splatoon had to offer, so I was a bit interested in their handiwork.

After a short while, Cuttlefish had led us to a large presentation hall, a huge discussion board and a decent few row of seats decorating the lonely interior.

He turned to us, and said:

"Keep in mind: We only ever gather here when we are actually preparing for a mission, so you bunch will want to find a nice apartment. I'd recommend Flounder Heights. It's also home to the Squidbeak Agents."

Klara and Leo left their gear with Cuttlefish, and the three of us left after saying a temporary "goodbye" as we left for Flounder Heights. We rented some apartments, Leo and Klara sticking together, and I decided to rent my own room.

***One Hour Later…***

I got all of my equipment and things set up, but not long after, I had a notification for a group message. The group was Cuttlefish, me, the Squidbeaks, and Cephalon all in one chat. The message was simple.

"_Meet at Squidbeak HQ, we have a problem to discuss."_

***Two Hours Later***

*** ?, Octarian Dome 28... (Cass' POV)***

I walked in to Sieg's office. "Sieg, it's done."

He looked up from his desk, strangely enough, he seemed to be in a good mood.

"Excellent. You've been doing well recently, Cassandra. I'm impressed, I must say."

_I'm more impressed you're complimenting me… _"Thanks... sir."

"Chit-Chat aside, tell me the good news."

"We have the Hybrid in the Interrogation Chambers, and she just gave us the location of the Splatoon Headquarters."

He chuckled to himself. "Good… good."

"Show me the information you've gathered, and we'll prepare a strike force."

"Yes, sir." I replied.

***Meanwhile***

***Caspia Minor, Guard Post 94... (Kyrion's POV)***

_***Knock Knock Knock***_

_Come on, I know you lazy bunch of inkstains are in there._

"Who in the shell is out there?" A familiar voice asked.

"Check the damn door and figure out for yourself!" I called back.

"Wait… holy Cod above, Kryion, Is that you my friend?"

The gates creaked open, and as the metal door lifted up, I saw the face of an old buddy.

"Archi, it's been too long, my friend."


	13. Chapter 12: Reconciliation

**_Chapter 12: Reconciliation_**

**Squidbeak Splatoon Headquarters… (Shepard's POV)**

After Cephalon and the Squidbeaks got to know each other, we all sat down to listen to the old man's speech. It didn't take him long to get started.

"Everybody's here..? Good. Let me start this off from the beginning: Just over one year ago, Cephalon Agent 4F or as most know her, Klara, was on a recon mission in Dome 28. But, during her stay there, she managed to find a Hybrid."

He paused to let that sink in. apparently the others hadn't known about Akali.

"She brought the Hybrid back with her to the Cephalon HQ after a small skirmish with the Octarians, and recently the Hybrid started training to join the Splatoon."

Chatter broke out, the Agents sounded pretty interested by that.

"Unfortunately, it would seem as just as they were finishing up their final training session, they were both knocked unconscious by tranq darts, and the Hybrid was squidnapped by a squad of Octolings."

"Don't worry Cap, we'll get back at 'em!" an agent behind me called out.

"The enthusiasm is appreciated Sarah, but this mission is going to the most difficult operation any of you will ever be a part of, as without perfect stealth, I'm worried alerting the Octarians may end up in our friend getting splatted for good." The old man continued.

"You'll be sent in trios, and Jackson here will actively be workin' on telling you squiddos the newest info on the situation at hand."

"Our first target is going to be Octarian Dome 28, as not only is it where they Octarians learned about our friend, but it's also the closest, and most logical place they'd have put her. Good luck Splatoon, let's get our friend back home." he finished.

The squid-kids got geared up for their rescue mission, and I had a chat with the old man outside the HQ.

"You ready to take command, sonny?" He asked.

"Trust me, the only person you're gonna have to worry about is Akali. I'll try not to put you to shame." I remarked, only half jokingly.

"Heh, alrighty then." He turned to the others. "Splatoon, let's get moving to Cuttlefish Cabin! We've got a long day ahead of us!" He called out.

**"Yes sir!"** They answered in unison.

_Alright, let's get this done._

**?, Octarian Dome 28… (Akali's POV)**

***Click* *Creaaaaak***

_...Who in the shell is it now?_

_..._

_...Oh Cod, please not her…_

"Hey hon!"

_UUUUUUUGH, Cod please strike me down._

"You know, it's been really boring down here ever since ya left, an-"

"If that's the case, let me out of these cuffs, and I'll give you a show you'll never forget."

I interrupted.

"First, don't threaten me with a good time, sweetie. Second,"

***Thwak***

"it's very rude to cut people off."

"It's also very rude to backhand your captives." I joked. "But, I guess I'm not in a position to teach people manners… _yet_."

"That's right hon. Now, where was I? Oh... riiiight."

She grinned at me, and I'll admit I got a bit spooked.

"Thanks to my recommendation, you're gonna be personally combat trained by a very close friend of mine. You're gonna be the head of our new heavy assault infantry unit. Isn't that great?"

_Greaaaaaat…_

"Well, it was nice chattin' with ya hon, but I've got a patrol to take care of. Smooches!"

She turned away, and was nearly out the door before she looked over her shoulder, and called back;

"By the by sweetie, only reason I didn't beat you to a pulp to get back at ya is because our medical staff have something much better in mind… see you!"

***Slam***

_That absolute sea witch..._

**Cuttlefish Cabin… (Shepard's POV)**

"What button was it to activate this thing?"

"Should be right 'round the top."

_Ah, there you are._

"The tac-map right here shows you a display of the battlefield, and is useful for instructing your boys 'n girls where they should hit next. You can zoom in on it if necessary with those two buttons labeled with the plus and minus symbol." The Captain instructed.

"Alright... You know, this is some nice tech you got here, Cuttlefish."

"This isn't even the best part. See that big TV over there? It's hooked up to the cameras on the helmets of the Splatoon. Change the channel, and you have a different squiddo. You'll be able to see who it is through the name of the channel."

"That's all?" I asked.

"Yep. If you need help, I'll be laying down in the room next door. Good luck, Jackson."

He gave me a pat on the shoulder, and walked off.

"Thanks."

**Octarian Dome 28... (Klara's POV)**

I'd been sent to quickly perform Recon duty with Agents 8 and 3.5 of the Squidbeak Splatoon so we wouldn't be going in blind, and I'll admit, I was fangirling _-just a bit-_ over 3.5.

**"Klara, have you and your team entered the Dome?"**

"Yep. Cameras going online in three, two, one."

**"Alright, everything's showing up clear. Recon Team, you're clear to advance. Head to the marker on your HUDs."**

A white rhombus appeared on my HUD as Jackson alerted us. The target was about a quarter mile to our north.

"At least we don't have to run a marathon to get there." 3.5 joked.

_"But we will have to if you don't shut it!"_ 8 said quietly.

_"Mei, you're no fun."_ He whispered in reply.

_"Alright you two, let's get moving."_ I whispered over my shoulder.

We snuck through the shadows along the outer edge of the settlement. We didn't encounter many Octarians, and when the few we did find appeared, we managed to avoid them quietly.

_"Alright, two hundred feet out. Be ready for anything."_ I whispered to my squad.

"**By now, they're probably done interrogating her, so let's wait to see if she's still here come recreation period.**" 8 radioed to me.

We quietly approached the prison, and watched from above on a set of grates leading to a maintenance shaft.

I watched patiently through the scope of my charger, and Jackson watched attentively through our cams.

Finally, we saw inmates start flooding onto the fenced field of the prison.

_No... No… Not her... C'mon…Hmmm…_

_"Where the shell is she?"_ I whispered.

"**Umm, look down there.**" 8 pointed at the main entrance.

I heard the doors slam shut, and a few feet ahead of the building Akali was being led forward by... _wait?! What the?!_

"**Of course Cass has something to do with this**." 3.5 sighed.

"_Jackson, are you seeing this?_" I asked

"**Yep.**"

Akali was being led on by the squad leader from way back when -apparently named Cass- and a small unit of hypnotized Octolings. She had ankle cuffs, and her arms were tied around her back at the elbows. Her wrists had been cuffed together as well…

_Wait, is that a shock collar?_

Apparently whoever runs this place is a very smart person, because they spared no expense in restraining Akali as best they could. Even then, she still stood proud, and also taller than her captors.

_At least her spirits aren't broken._

"_Where are they taking her_?" I asked

"**No idea. Let's just hop along the rooftops to follow her, just to make sure we can keep track of them. It's also probably our safest bet to not get shredded by those Octolings.**" 3.5 said.

"_Alright, squad, let's get moving._"

We followed the escort silently until we reached a huge compound that 8 seemed to recognize quite well.

"_...The training grounds…it all makes sense now..._" She whispered.

"What makes sense?" I asked.

"They're already trying to put her into active service. Hold on, I'll see if I can sneak around down there to follow her. You guys wouldn't last a second if they saw you."

"Wait, what's to stop them from recognizing you?" I asked.

"I'll just knock someone out, and then take their gear. Easy!" She said with a way too innocent smile.

"Alright, good luck."

She leapt off the rooftop, landing with a thud. She walked up to a lone Octoling guard, and knocked her out by smacking her with her octoshot. 8 swapped her clothes and gave us her gear after hiding the unconscious guard in a nearby trash bin.

I then radioed in:

"Jackson, Mei is going inside the Facility to pose as an Octoling so we know where our friend is going to. You won't be able to use her cam, over."

"**Copy.**"

I just hope she ends up ok.

**Octoling Training Grounds… (Mei's POV)**

_Ugh… I miss having clothes that cover more than a quarter of my body… and my squad... but still, I guess we need this info. Alright, where did she go…_

_Aha!_

Cass had ditched her guard, now leading the Hybrid by herself. She was pretty far down the hall, best to keep my distance, but I'll have to make sure not to lose her.

…

I'd been walking for a long time, and I was starting to lose my nerve. Wandering the halls made me feel like I was a recruit again, and that was not a fun time.

…

_Wait, I thought that place was out of service… exactly._

I realized where she must be heading too, so I decided to turn back. But as I turned, I stared a hypnotized octoling right in the shades, and she asked:

"So, what are you doing here?"

I tried my best not to panic.

"Umm, I'm a bit lost, do you know where the cafeteria is? I'm really bad with directions."

"Ah... it's right down that hallway to the left." She said politely.

"Thanks!" I said as I walked back down the hallway.

"No problem." She called.

_Phew, thank Octo that went well…_

I made my way back to the main doorway, made sure no one was looking, and super jumped to Klara and Arnold.

"You okay?" Klara asked.

"Yeah… had a close call though." I panted

I took a second to catch my breath, and then told her about what happened.

"Right, they're taking your friend down to the heavy weapons division of the training grounds. They must be preparing her for a new unit though, because that place hasn't been used since the Great Turf War."

"Alright." Klara stood up and started walking away. She called over her shoulder:

"By the way, thanks for being brave when we needed you. Without you, I don't know what the shell we'd have done down here."

"Thanks." I said with a warm smile.

Klara then radioed in:

"Jackson, we have the info, and we're heading back, over."

"**Alrighty, good job down there guys.**"

I turned to Klara, and asked:

"By the way, can I have my normal clothes now? This armor is way too tight."

"Yeah, no problem." she said with a grin.


	14. Chapter 13: S&R

_Chapter 13: S&R_

**Cuttlefish Cabin… (Klara's POV)**

I rushed in, quickly followed by my squad.

"We found her!"

That got everyone's attention, even Captain Cuttlefish walked out of his room, looking to have just woken up.

"They're taking her to the training grounds, and she isn't heavily guarded!"

That cheered up the Cap'n.

"Alrighty then, Splatoon, you know your positions, head out! But, be sure that you remain stealthy. Wouldn't want to lose any more of you."

**(One Hour Later)**

**Octarian Dome 28… (Leo's POV)**

Well, we'd been smooth in our entrance, especially considering we had eight agents in the field. We had three teams, and I'd been assigned to the reserve assault team.

My squad consisted of me and the Ligos, or Agents 4 & 4.5 of the Squidbeak Splatoon to be fancy. We were basically just waiting to lead an assault in case the recon and recovery teams needed some heavy firepower should things start going downhill.

But hopefully, I just get to sit down for today. For me and Akali's sake.

**POV Swap, (Klara's POV)**

Once again, I was on recon duty. Our job was to provide overwatch for the recovery team, which was comprised of Mei Argo and Guyver Wolfie, or 8 and 8.5 of the Squidbeaks. I was placed in the recon team with 3 and 3.5.

We got in position, flanked by the recovery team. We had to help them apply black dye to their tentacles to make them look like elites.

Their job was to sneak in, pose as Elites escorting Akali to the medical ward, and then, by any means necessary, get her out.

We finished applying the dye, they swapped into Octoling armor, and then to complete the look, put on fake hypnoshades just to make them as inconspicuous as possible. They headed out, and we all bid them good luck.

**HWT Sector, Octarian Dome 28… (Akali's POV)**

Well, this is just great…

"Alright, I guess it's time I take those restraints off you."

She looked me in the eyes, freezing ice meeting a defiant emerald. She said coldly;

"Do yourself a favor, don't do anything stupid. I'll be just fine with turning you into extra large squid rings." The Octoling pointed to the trigger on her wrist assigned to my collar.

"Heh, no worries. If I try anything, you'll be out cold before you could raise your wrist." I said.

"Wanna test that theory? _I sure would love to hear you scream~_" She said with a sadistic grin.

_Damn, she's crazy... Kinda cute though._

"...Not yet. Wouldn't want to leave before I get to play with the guns first." I joked.

"So hold still then."

She reached down to unlock the cuff on my ankles, then went behind me to take off the ones around my wrists, and finally, cut through the rope around my elbows with a well-sharpened knife.

"Alright, now that's out of the way, follow me." She said as she walked past me.

We walked to the back of the room, and she slid an ID card through a slot in the wall, opening up an entrance secret armory.

_Holy carp…_

They had everything a Hybrid could desire. An Ultrashot Heavy Shooter, a XL Roller, a Coastal Pinpoint Heavy Charger, and practically anything under the sun alongside them.

But, something familiar stood out in the corner of my eye.

_No splating way…_

I rushed over to see if they were what I thought they were.

_How in the shell did they find Splatter Strikes!?_

"A fist fighter, huh? Nice." She said from behind me.

"Hey, how did you guys make these?" I asked while still in awe.

"A bit of Octoling engineering, a bit of metal, and a drop of magic did the trick." Came the reply.

"Let's head out to the range and see what you can do with those."

**(Moments later…)**

**"_RRA_AAH!"**

The small wall shattered instantly, concrete and ink flew through the field, and what was left of the wall either crumbled onto the floor, or got broken down even further upon smashing against the steel walls of the facility.

I Looked down at my fist.

_No cuts... no bruises… huh, the metal isn't even scratched._

"Be sure to try out those mega bombs, and tell me if you need 'em sized down. They're taken from Colossal designs." She called out from behind me.

I inspected my bombs.

_Ok… so how do I..?_

"Pull the cord out to start the timer, and then hurl it as hard as you can." Came the answer.

_Ok..._

I pulled the cord back, and slung the thing a good thirty feet before it swelled out further and blew, making a generously-sized circle of ink.

_Nice._

"Alright. That's it for today. Tomorrow, someone will lead you down to the medical sector. The doctors want to take a look at you." She said casually.

**"Cassandra to Sieg's office, I repeat, Sergeant Cassandra to the Commander's office, thank you."**

"What does he want now?" Cassandra asked.

She walked off, closing the door behind her.

**HWT Sector… (Mei's POV)**

_Where is it..._

_Wait, is that…_

"What are you runts doing here?" Cass asked.

I nearly had a heart attack, for a second I thought she'd seen through our disguise. I collected myself enough to reply, and said:

"We're here to escort the Hybrid to the medical sector."

"Didn't Elise schedule the appointment for tomorrow?" Cass said.

_Uuuuuummmmmmmm..._

"She's... rescheduled, due to time constraints with other patients." I said.

She narrowed her eyes at us.

"Ugh… great. Take my card. The Hybrid's in the firing range. It's just around the corner." She tossed us the card, and was on her way.

I looked to Guyver, and said:

"Well, that was easy…"

"Yeah, let's just get Akali and get out. This place is giving me bad memories..." He said with a slight shiver.

"Yeah, same here." I said as I turned away.

**Sieg's Office… (Cass' POV)**

"Cassandra, Recon teams have been alerted, and are now mobilizing to the position mentioned by the Hybrid. I invited you here to tell you we'd like you and Eye to man another Recon mission tomorrow, in case there's any more information we could gather on the Splatoon." Sieg said.

"Alright, me and Eye'll get it done." I replied.

"You're free to go." He stated.

**Minutes Earlier… (Akali's POV)**

The door opened. I was sitting on a bench on the far end of the field, and two elites walked up to me.

"Who are you two?" I asked as I looked up.

"Guyver Wolfie, and Mei Argo. We're part of the Splatoon. We were sent here to get you the shell out of here."

_That'd explain the tentacles..._

"A'ight, let's go then." I said.

"Wait, what about your weapons?" Mei asked.

I pressed a button, and the fists folded themselves into a square small enough to fit in my pockets. Splatter Strikes were made to be convenient, as well as covert. I was just thankful the remakes are as functional as the old ones.

"Huh…" Guyver uttered in surprise.

"Alright, now we can go." Mei said.

I put on the wrist cuffs, I figured was strong enough to break the links between the two after all was said and done, and we'd be kinda suspicious to the other gaurds.

We walked the long, winding corridors of the training facility, quietly making our way to the entrance.

Our stroll through the base has been pretty calm, most of the Octolings were either in the training fields, or in the cafeteria eating lunch, so there weren't many just roaming the halls. After several minutes of corridors, we came up to a large metal door.

_"There it is, the exit!"_ Mei whispered.

We made sure no one was looking, and immediately raced out the front door, super jumping to the rest of the Splatoon.

_Couch, TV, and extra salty chips, I'm coming home babes!_

Klara was waiting for me, and as I broke the cuffs and collar, she smiled, and radioed:

"Jackson, we got her."

**Moments later… (Cass' POV)**

**_*Beep... Beep!*_**

_Huh!?_

_Wait, why is the collar marked as broken?_

_...Oh shrimp…_

…

_***KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK***_

"Cass, you know it's rude to interrupt people during lunch break, right?" Elise called out.

"Have you seen the Hybrid?" I asked as she opened the door.

"No, her appointment is due tomorrow." she replied calmly.

The horror of what I'd just done dawned on me.

"...Cass?"

I shrank against the wall, and began to cry.

"Cass, what's happened?!" Elise's eyes went wide as she realized what this must mean.

She didn't get an answer.

_Why… Why… Why does it always have to be me… Sieg will have my head for this… oh Octo… Why…_

Every alarm in the Dome went off, Sirens telling citizens and soldiers alike to be aware, and hunt down any clues as to where the Hybrid may be.

I shambled down the corridors leading to Sieg's office.

I was broken. My thoughts were a shambled mess, the rings around my eyes were muddied from tears, and I felt even weaker than I was back when I was a recruit.

_I might be an elite now, but I'm still just a powerless runt._

I kept sobbing. I was barely even able to walk straight.

_But I can still dream and wish, and right now, I wish to die_.

I entered Seig's office.

Let's just hope dreams can come true.

**(One minute later…)**

Sieg sighed as he rested his head on his hands.

"Cassandra, you don't know how appealing a choice picking you up and snapping you in two is right now…" He looked up at me.

"I will guarantee you one thing."

He leaned over to me, looking me dead in the eyes, lowering his voice.

"Every Octarian from this Dome and onwards is going to want to mount your head on their wall after this... Do you realize that by doing what you've done, you're on the border of having committed treason?!"

I sighed, and looked up at him, and whispered blankly.

_"Sieg, just kill me, or let me out of here..."_

He paused, stared me in the eyes, and backed off after a bit. He turned the other way, looking at personal pictures and gleaming trophies instead of the runt sitting across from him.

He sighed.

"Very well. Cassandra, I hereby expel you from the Octarian Military. I'll give you until noon tomorrow to gather your belongings, and get out of my sight. I thought two chances was enough, but apparently it only gave you time to make a worse mistake."

I stood up, and left the office to alert my squad.

They wished me the best in my travels, and I left early in the morning the next day. I think I heard Jacqui cry for the first time in a long while. I stopped, and quietly whispered to no one in particular;

_"I'm sorry."_

I reached the surface, and as I stood in the freezing cold twilight, the weight of what had just happened started piercing the adrenaline. I collapsed, and one thought was still in my head.

_**What have I done?**_


	15. Chapter 14: Absolution

_**Chapter 14: Absolution**_

**Inkopolis Outskirts (Cass' POV)**

I sat against the wall of a tall building on the Inkopolis Outskirts, watching the sun rise.

It was a cold autumn day, and I had nothing but my boots, shorts, and armor to cover me. I was shivering, slowly beginning to freeze over.

_Why… Why… Why..._

A single tear rolled down my face, freezing on the concrete under me.

_I'm going to die up here before I can make it to them… what's the point of trying?_

The wind picked up, howling as if it were laughing right at my dumbass.

_Why did that squidheaded half-blood have to find my squad?_

_He called me to his office, how was it my fault?_

The sun slowly began to rise over the frigid horizon.

_I shouldn't have sent the guards away… why am I so damn stupid?_

_Why did I trust them? Elise would never change her schedule that quick…_

_And I'm the clever one…_

**_I really am just the runt of the litter, aren't I?_**

Tears flowed down my face, and the chill in the air bit at my wet cheeks. I covered my face, half in shame, half in pain from the frigid wind. I sat there for a while, half frozen on the frigid streets of outer Inkopolis, a soon to be frozen river flowing out of me and on to the concrete. The runt would wither away in the freezing cold, with not even a mother to care for her.

But as I sat there, on the brink of death, I heard something. Two voices. Voices of the only two people I ever truly cared for. My two close friends, who stayed with me through thick and thin. One long gone, and one still living. They both had one question:

**"How would a runt have made it this far?"**

I raised my head, despite the sting in the air.

I sniffled, and gazed at the light over the horizon.

I stood up, and wiped the tears away.

I quietly thanked the only two friends I ever had, and made them a promise I would never break:

_"Amanda, Jacqui, I'll make it, just for you two."_

**…**

I silently made my way through Inkopolis, making sure to stay out of the light. The place was slowly starting to get warmer, so I guess the sun was helpful in that regard.

_"youreamonster..."_

"Huh?" I whipped around, but there was no one behind me. The entire place was silent. A chill ran down my spine.

_It's just the wind Cass. Nothing to worry about._

I kept moving, checking behind my shoulder after every couple of minutes.

"You manipulated us…"

I stopped dead in my tracks. I knew that voice. I froze, paralyzed by memories turned nightmares. I knew what I'd been hearing now. My past had come to haunt me.

_No, please oh Octo no… not them, please damnit! Octo help me..._

**"I thought we were friends!"**

I turned around. I'd expected the worst, but I was nowhere near it. My eyes went wide at what I saw.

I dropped to the ground and threw up.

I tried to recollect myself, but I couldn't, the tears kept on flowing, even after the bile had stopped. I crawled away, my mind in a frenzy of regret.

_Oh Octo, I'm sorry. I'm sorry to have ever known you, I'm so damn sorry... You were beautiful…_

**(An Hour Later)**

Eventually, I collected enough fragments of myself to make it to the spot where the Hybrid had said the Splatoon HQ was located. I had to be quick, because in an hour the raid would start.

I tried to open the door, and surprise to say, it was unlocked. But, it was abandoned. I walked around for a bit, checking if anyone was home, but after a while I just decided to search for clues where they went.

I checked each of the rooms, none having anything noteworthy, but ironically, just as I was giving up hope, I found a crumpled sticky note in a box labeled "Leo's Stuff". I straightened out, and thanked Octo that I'd taught myself Inkish back in my recruit years.

If I remember it right, the note read "**New HQ: Squidbeaks HQ is the building near Flounder Heights**".

_Ugh, this is gonna be a pain..._

I left the building with the note in my pocket. Eventually, I found my way to Flounder Heights. A large, abandoned storehouse sat just next to it.

_Looks like the place…_

This time, I wasn't so lucky with the door, so I had to spend a bit of time to pick the lock. After a minute or two, I got it. It wasn't easy to pick a lock when you're a few minutes away from becoming a extra salty octosicle.

I entered and thought I might as well catch some sleep while I still could. I sat down in the nearest corner, slowly drifting off into sleep.

...

**(Two Hours Later…)**

"Holy Crab Cakes!" Someone shouted.

I woke with a start, faced with Cuttlefish and a couple of familiar faces, but scanning the group, I realized I hadn't seen one of them before.

He was a tall guy, probably another Hybrid, who was wearing some unique black, gold, and grey clothes.

I snapped back to full awareness, just as a familiar face walked in to the room.

"Cass, what are you doing here?" Beth growled, her shot pointed right at me.

"Avoiding being slaughtered by angry mobs." I said with a glare.

"Aww, did someone have a run in with the authorities?" Sarah remarked.

_Huh, looks like the gang's all here._

"Nah, but actually... yeah… Not yours though…" I replied.

"The shell do you mean by that?" Beth asked.

"Well, my green haired friend, I'd love to tell you, but that shooter aimed straight at my forehead is making me a bit uncomfy." I told her.

She lowered her heroshot, murmuring under her breath.

"Much better." I said with a joking grin.

"Well, since you asked, what happened was your freak of nature over there escaped on my watch, thanks to you and your two pwecious widdle traitors over dere," I pointed to the two Octoling agents.

"so, the Hybrid escaped. And of course, since I basically handed her over to you, I got in big trouble. I got exiled out of the Octarian Military, and at this point, heading back into any Dome whatsoever is basically a death sentence, as I'd probably get gutted by an angry mob for borderline committing treason."

The room went silent for a while, but Beth then quietly said -with a venom I'd never seen from her before- :

"So, what's to stop us from handing you over and watching it happen?"

The big one looked at her in what I could only imagine to be disgust, before taking off his gas mas-**_Holy Octo above, is that a human?!_**

He looked at Beth, and furiously asked her:

**"Are you playing with me right now? Is this all just a big goddamn joke to you, or are you being serious?"**

He looked over at me, and began to walk over to me.

_I think I'm gonna faint…_

He reached a hand up to help me off the ground, and I accepted it.

"Let her speak, or I'll ensure they rip out **your** guts instead." He said as he looked back to Beth.

_Well damn, if he insists..._

"Well, if you must know, Beth, I do tend to give you guys a hard time in combat, armed or unarmed. And that's to put it lightly. Besides that, I'm sneaky, and clever enough to outshine most of you squidheads, not to mention I'm in the inner circle of a Province Commander."

"Was." She said with a roll of her eyes.

"Regardless," I said, "I think you guys would get a lot out of me joining the Splatoon. Plus, I'm an elite. I won't need training."

"Hmm," Cuttlefish was deep in thought. "You know what? Might as well. I don't see why not, so long as ya aren't going to start any trouble."

"And if you do," Beth said, "I'll personally strangle you with that rope of yours."

I grinned at that.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

"You remind me of a friend." I replied.

Cuttlefish finished the conversation.

"All right Cassandra, you're officially part of the New Squidbeak Splatoon! Head back to Flounder Heights with Jackson over here, you'll stay with him. I guess all missions planned on happening today will just go along as planned tomorrow... Have fun with yer free day, Splatoon."

Everyone left the building, either go enjoy a game or movie with friends, or to go shopping. I on the other hand, went to Flounder Heights to chat with a human.

**(20 Minutes Later, ****Flounder Heights...)**

"Hey, thanks for the help with Beth." I said to him after a long period of silence.

He looked up from his mask, sighed, and turned to face me.

"No problem. I'm just sorry for giving off a bad first impression."

"Eh, no worries." I moved a tentacle away from my eye.

"Life kicking me while I'm down isn't anything new… But, well… You on the other hand..."

"Heh, I'm quite a sight to behold, aren't I?" He flexed jokingly.

"Ha, yeah… How long have ya been here?" I asked.

"About a year and a half, but not much has happened. I'm not out and about all that often." He said.

_Well that would explain why I haven't seen him at all…_

"Have you been done anything during all that time?" I questioned.

He paused for a moment to think.

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Yeah…" I said, confused.

"Well, I'm kinda working on something that'll help your kind out, a lot."

"I'm interested…" I said.

"We have a group of engineers working on building fusion generators. Rough estimates would put them at enough energy to power an entire Octarian Dome -if not more-, and their scheduled release is a year and a half from now." He said.

_Wait... the Inklings are helping us?_

"Why are you guys trying to help us?" I asked.

"Well, me and the Splatoon are kinda the only ones who know about it, so public opinion isn't quite an issue yet... On a personal level though, I don't know. Maybe my heart of gold is starting to come back…"

He looked longingly out the window.

"I lost so much during that flood. My friends, my family, my people… all gone. Except for a few of us… I don't want you guys to just fade away like we did… You guys deserve so much more than what I can give you. You've resurrected hope for the future. The very least I can give you all, is peace."

A tear rolled down my cheek, and a genuine smile formed on my face.

"Thank you… you don't know how much this means…"

I gave him a hug, and let go. He went back to inspecting his mask, and as I layed in my bed, a thought snapped into my head.

" I can help, ya know..." I said to the Human.

"How so?" He seemed intrigued.

"Ok, I used to be part of the squad of a Province Commander. If you can help me get my squad on our side, we can help convince the Octarians that this is the right path, and on a side note, I'll get to see my friends again." I said.

"Alright, I'll talk to Cuttlefish and the Splatoon, and we'll see what we can do."

I gave him a huge hug, and while crying into his chest, all I could say was:

**_"Thank you… Thank you… Thank you…"_**


	16. Chapter 15: Reinstated

_**Chapter 15: Reinstated**_

***Guard Post 49, Caspia Minor… (Kyrion's POV)***

"So, anyone care to run me through the details?" I invited.

Archi was the one to respond.

"Well, three UA's have gone dark, but besides that, not much else… Oh, right. We also got a few new toys to play with since you vanished... Follow me, I'll just show you in the armory."

We got up from our seats, and walked down the nearby set of stairs down to our armory. The stairs were lit up by a set of blue fluorescent lights, and the familiar sound of heavy boots slamming into the metal below slowly drew back all the memories I had as a young recruit, following the sergeants that once towered over me.

I remember the first day I set foot in this armory… I was making friends with other future sentinels, and forging bonds that had lasted for decades on end at the very least.

Those days were long gone, and yet I remember them like yesterday. So much as changed yet at the same time, so little...

Archi snapped me back to the present.

"C'mon old man, we don't have time to space out, you remember our training, right? I used to taunt you all the time for daydreaming."

"Yes, you did. That's also why you nearly got a broken beak." I said.

We entered the armory. It was shrouded in blue light, armor and weapons held neatly on racks, with white light shining down on them.

Archi led me to the exosuit gallery, and the new set was quite a sight for my old eyes.

"Meet the Cthulhu Model Powered Exosuit, or CMPE if you're short on breath. The entire set was made to your exact fit, and so far, they've only been sent to our most successful commanders as a sign of respect for their outstanding service to Caspia." He explained.

I briefly looked it over. It definitely had some fine craftsmanship put behind it, and it looked pretty damn strong.

"Can you try it on before the turn of the splatury, please?" Archi said.

"Alright." I said.

I entered the frame first, and attached the armor plating from head to toe, with a bit of help. Entering an exosuit wasn't a one man job, yet.

The faceplate was made to look like the face of Cthulhu, and fit pretty nicely. It had a unique, very state-of-the-art HUD, as well as a mounted flash beacon, which rested comfortably on the right side of the helm. It had also been cut at the bottom, allowing my facial tentacles to sit comfortably, and was an all around very good design.

The body armor was no different in it's comfortable fitting, and I was surprised, seeing as to how careful the engineers had to be in it's creation, mostly thanks to my much more bulky frame in comparison to my brothers in arms.

In fact, I stood taller and stronger than the vast majority of those in Caspia, with only the Wardress and her guardsmen standing as proud as I.

"Alright, I can get used to this. Any new weapons, by chance?" I asked, taking off my gear.

"Well… we have a new rotary blaster." Archi replied.

"Alright. Lead the way old friend." I said.

We made our way to the heavy weapons sector, and Archi handed me a new rotary blaster. We then walked to the firing range, Archi explaining its function to me.

"That gun your holding is the MK.I Riptide. She's a beast, easily our hardest-hitting and fastest rotary yet, and she has a very high capacity to boot."

Let's just say his promises weren't empty. The thing was an absolute war machine when put to the test, and combining it with the new suit, I'd be practically invulnerable to the sanitized horde.

"Well, there ain't much beyond that... Oh, it's half past eleven. Let's head back up to the boys, I think they'd appreciate some sleep." Archi said.

"So would I." I remarked.

After putting resting my rotary against the wall, I looked back to Archi, and we left for the barracks.

**Early the Next Day**

***Flounder Heights… ( Prophet's POV)***

"So Cass, who's this commander of yours?" I called out to her.

I was sitting at a table, and Cass was preparing a drink that smelled suspiciously like tea…

"He goes by Seig. He's a decorated Province Commander, and he's nearly snapped me in two more times than I care to admit. He's the reason why you're looking at an elite instead of a rebellious runt." She said while walking towards me.

"Not to be rude, but I can still see those last two things in you…"

"Heh, no worries. I'm still as much of a sadistic rebel on the inside as ever." She joked.

_Or was it a joke…_

"You got any info on where we'd find him?" I asked.

"Yeah, shell I could probably mark your map with the location, even without knowing how to use the damn thing with the amount of times I've had to go to his office…" She stared blankly off into the horizon.

"_Never thought I'd miss him, either…" _She whispered. I thought I saw a tear or two welling up for a second, but she wiped her eyes and looked back to me.

"You promise you'll get my friends here safe, right?" She asked.

"On the graves of my own, I will."

***Author's Note*: I LIIIIIIVE! But in all seriousness, sorry for being gone for so long. Procrastination and a general lack of inspirement nearly made me scrap this entirely, but at the end of the day, you guys are still here, and I can't thank you enough for supporting this story, even through the drought of content regarding Splatoon and this story alike. Thanks for reading, and have a great day.**

**P.S I'm going to edit some previous chapters to bring them up to par with my new stuff, or just to make changes that make inner thoughts or dialogue feel more like what the character at hand would say.**

**Bye for now guys.**


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